New Mexico
First dental school under construction in New Mexico
Construction is underway on New Mexico’s first dental school, and it’s expected to fill more than a few cavities.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Construction is underway on New Mexico’s first dental school, and it’s expected to fill more than a few cavities.
“We need more dentists and hygienists, and so the best way to do that is sort of grow your own,” said Mayor Tim Keller.
The most recent data puts us well below the national average. While state leaders could recruit dentists from other states, they know it’s easier to train them right here in New Mexico.
“People are always surprised to find out that there’s no dental school in Albuquerque or in New Mexico,” said Keller.
After 40 years of unsuccessful attempts, those days are finally coming to a close. City and state leaders broke ground on the Touro College of Dental Medicine’s newest campus in southeast Albuquerque.
“We’re putting a clinical campus for our dental school at the Loveless Biomedical Research Institute,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, president of Touro University.
The $40 million expansion project is expected to train up to 200 dental students at a time with at least 100 state-of-the-art training chairs.
College leaders say space is limited, so students will have to begin their training at Touro’s New York campus, but will finish in Albuquerque — and that’s the point.
“People who go to professional schools, dental school, medical school, tend to practice where they train not 100% of the time, but a significant amount of the time. And so the absence of a dental school in New Mexico means that fewer people will choose to practice there,” said Kadish.
One homegrown dentist knows that’s true.
“I think there’s about, like, 50% of my classmates that were from Albuquerque that didn’t end up coming back,” said Dr. Alyssa Candelaria, with Uptown Dentist Associates.
Candelaria is a Volcano Vista and UNM grad, but she had to move to Nebraska to go to dental school, even though she didn’t really want to.
“100% I would have wanted to stay here in state,” said Candelaria.
She knows she’s not alone.
“We actually have an assistant here who is, like, very interested in dental school. I think she’d be a great dentist, but she doesn’t want to leave the state,” Candelaria said. “I think if there was a dental school here, I think we have a lot more opportunity for other people to pursue that option.”
City and state leaders are hoping more aspiring dentists do. There’s only 48 dentists per 100,000 people in New Mexico, well below the national average of 60 dentists.
“It’s become increasingly clear that overall survival and feeling healthy is contributed to by dental health,” said Kadish.
Making New Mexico healthier, one new dentist at a time.
“I think it’s going to be really good for just a patient population here in general,” said Candelaria.
The new Touro Dental School is supposed to be up and running by next summer.
Keller predicts we could see the first batch of homegrown dentists within 18 months.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) – The New Mexico Department of Health says it will continue to recommend the full schedule of childhood vaccines.
State officials announced the move Tuesday, directly defying a new federal policy that scaled back routine immunization guidance.
The announcement comes after U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reduced the number of vaccines it recommends for all children.
The New Mexico Department of Health stated the federal changes were “not based on new scientific evidence or safety data.”
“New Mexico will not follow the federal government in walking away from decades of proven public health practice,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Our recommendations remain unchanged.”
State health officials sought to reassure parents, emphasizing that vaccines remain widely available and covered by insurance.
“We know this is confusing for parents, but the science is clear: vaccines are safe, effective, and save children’s lives,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, chief medical officer for NMDOH.
All childhood vaccinations will continue to be covered under programs like Medicaid and the federal Vaccines for Children Program.
The state encourages parents to consult their healthcare providers using the American Academy of Pediatrics’ immunization schedule.
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SANTA FE, N.M. — Former New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner Jim Ellison is running for governor as a Republican, he announced on social media Tuesday.
Ellison is running on affordability, opportunity and trust in government as the key points of his campaign. His experience includes serving on the NMPRC in 2023 and 2024.
“New Mexico deserves leadership that listens, acts, and delivers results. Our state has enormous potential, but too often that potential is held back by policies that don’t serve everyday New Mexicans,” he said on his website. “I’m running to bring practical solutions, honest accountability, and a renewed focus on the public interest.”
A Georgia native, Ellison has lived in New Mexico for 20 years and currently lives in the Albuquerque area with his wife and two children.
Ellison is aiming to get 5,000 signatures by Feb. 2, to appear on the primary ballot with at least three other Republicans who have announced their candidacy.
Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez announced his campaign in December and recently confirmed to KOB 4 that he received enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and New Mexico State Sen. Steve Lanier are also running.
Three Democrats are running – Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.
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